Security Camera System

Web-based interface for Raspberry Pi security camera with motion detection and live streaming.

Hardware Requirements

• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (512MB RAM minimum)
• Raspberry Pi Camera Module (v2 or v3)
• MicroSD card (32GB+ recommended)
• Stable power supply (5V 2.5A recommended)

Features

• Motion Detection: Automatic capture when movement detected
• Event Recording: 30-second videos with before/after images
• Live Streaming: Real-time camera view at 10fps (MJPEG)
• Web Interface: Browse events, view logs, control streaming
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile

System Architecture

Backend (Python)

• Thread 1: Circular buffer (camera + H.264 recording)
• Thread 2: Motion detection (pixel-difference algorithm)
• Thread 3: Event processor (saves pictures/videos)
• Thread 4: MJPEG server (live streaming)

Frontend (Web)

• nginx: Web server
• PHP 8.4: Dynamic page generation
• JavaScript: Interactive features (AJAX, lightbox, streaming control)
• SQLite: Event and log storage

Installation

Prerequisites

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install dependencies
sudo apt install -y \
    nginx \
    php8.4-fpm php8.4-sqlite3 \
    python3-picamera2 python3-opencv python3-pil \
    sqlite3 \
    git

# Enable camera
sudo raspi-config
# Interface Options → Camera → Enable

Clone Repository

cd /home/pi
git clone https://github.com/kklasmeier/security-camera.git sec_cam
cd sec_cam

Setup Script

# Make setup script executable
chmod +x setup.sh

# Run setup
./setup.sh

This will:

• Create required directories
• Set up file permissions
• Configure nginx
• Create systemd service
• Initialize database

Manual Setup (if setup.sh not available)

# Create directories
mkdir -p videos pictures thumbs tmp logs www/api

# Set permissions
chmod 755 videos pictures thumbs www www/assets www/includes www/api
chmod 664 events.db  # (after first run)

# Configure nginx
sudo cp nginx.conf /etc/nginx/sites-available/sec-cam
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/sec-cam /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default  # Remove default site
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

# Set up systemd service
sudo cp sec-cam.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable sec-cam
sudo systemctl start sec-cam

Configuration

Edit config.py to customize:

# Video settings
VIDEO_RESOLUTION = (1280, 720)
VIDEO_FRAMERATE = 15

# Motion detection
MOTION_THRESHOLD = 60
MOTION_SENSITIVITY = 50
MOTION_COOLDOWN_SECONDS = 65

# Streaming
LIVESTREAM_PORT = 8080

Usage

Web Interface

Access at: http://[your-pi-ip]/

Pages:

• Events - Browse captured motion events
• Event Detail - View video and images
• Live View - Real-time camera stream
• Logs - System log viewer

System Control

# Start/stop camera system
sudo systemctl start sec-cam
sudo systemctl stop sec-cam
sudo systemctl restart sec-cam

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u sec-cam -f

# Check status
sudo systemctl status sec-cam

File Structure

/home/pi/sec_cam/
├── Python files (camera system)
│   ├── sec_cam_main.py       (main orchestrator)
│   ├── circular_buffer.py    (camera & buffer)
│   ├── motion_detector.py    (motion detection)
│   ├── event_processor.py    (save events)
│   ├── mjpeg_server.py       (live streaming)
│   ├── database.py           (SQLite interface)
│   ├── logger.py             (logging system)
│   ├── motion_event.py       (thread coordination)
│   └── config.py             (configuration)
│
├── Web interface
│   └── www/
│       ├── index.php         (events list)
│       ├── event.php         (event detail)
│       ├── live.php          (live view)
│       ├── logs.php          (log viewer)
│       ├── includes/         (PHP modules)
│       ├── assets/           (CSS/JS)
│       └── api/              (AJAX endpoints)
│
├── Data (NOT in Git)
│   ├── events.db            (SQLite database)
│   ├── videos/              (MP4 event videos)
│   ├── pictures/            (full-res images)
│   ├── thumbs/              (thumbnails)
│   └── logs/                (system logs)
│
└── Configuration
    ├── nginx.conf           (nginx config)
    └── sec-cam.service      (systemd service)

Troubleshooting

Camera won't start

# Check if camera is detected
vcgencmd get_camera

# Check logs
sudo journalctl -u sec-cam -n 50

# Kill stuck processes
sudo pkill -9 python3
sudo systemctl restart sec-cam

Web pages not loading

# Check nginx
sudo systemctl status nginx
sudo nginx -t

# Check PHP-FPM
sudo systemctl status php8.4-fpm

# Check permissions
ls -la /home/pi/sec_cam/www/

High memory usage

# Check memory
free -h

# Check processes
ps aux | grep python

# Restart system
sudo systemctl restart sec-cam

Stream won't start

# Check streaming flag
sqlite3 events.db "SELECT * FROM system_control;"

# Reset flag
sqlite3 events.db "UPDATE system_control SET streaming=0 WHERE id=1;"

# Check MJPEG server logs
sudo journalctl -u sec-cam -f | grep -i mjpeg

Performance

Typical resource usage:

• CPU: 15-25% (idle), 40-60% (motion event)
• RAM: ~260MB (normal), ~280MB (streaming)
• Storage: ~2-3MB per event (30s video + images)

Recommendations:

• Use Class 10 or better microSD card
• 32GB+ storage for ~2-3 months of events
• Regular backups recommended

Maintenance

Backup Database

cp events.db events.db.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)

Clean Old Events

# Delete videos older than 30 days
find videos/ -name "*.mp4" -mtime +30 -delete
find pictures/ -name "*.jpg" -mtime +30 -delete
find thumbs/ -name "*.jpg" -mtime +30 -delete

Vacuum Database

sqlite3 events.db "VACUUM;"

Contributing

This is a personal project, but suggestions and improvements are welcome!

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Author

Kevin Klasmeier - https://github.com/kklasmeier

Acknowledgments

Built with the help of Claude AI (Anthropic) over 8 development sessions.